Brazil, the Amazons and the coast . most subject to it ; but the real cause isthe slovenly condition of the streets, and the imperfect sew-erage. There have been schemes enough for cleaning anddraining the city, but they have either ended in vapor, or,being mixed up with political jobbery, have been only halfcarried out. Yet our narrow and dirty streets are not without theirpicturesque side. The older buildings are here ; some ofthem date back two centuries, and exhibit. In perfection,the peculiarities of the earlier colonial times. Our American 456 BRAZIL. historic houses were mostly of wood,
Brazil, the Amazons and the coast . most subject to it ; but the real cause isthe slovenly condition of the streets, and the imperfect sew-erage. There have been schemes enough for cleaning anddraining the city, but they have either ended in vapor, or,being mixed up with political jobbery, have been only halfcarried out. Yet our narrow and dirty streets are not without theirpicturesque side. The older buildings are here ; some ofthem date back two centuries, and exhibit. In perfection,the peculiarities of the earlier colonial times. Our American 456 BRAZIL. historic houses were mostly of wood, and have disappearedlong ago, or only exist in a half-ruined state. The Portu-o-uese colonists built solidly of stone and cement, in the man-ner of the mother country ; and after two hundred years thewalls and tile-roofs are as good as ever ; only the whitewashhas been softened down with black mould, until every towerand cornice is a delight to the eye. A wonderful beautifieris this mould, and wonderfully well it has done its work. The Sugar-loaf, from the West. here ; that old convent on the hill is a picture like an artistsdream. Strangely in contrast are the modern dresses, andthe horse-cars that pass through nearly every street. Thelow trucks and half-naked negro cofifee-carriers are more inkeeping with these mouldy walls, albeit the buildings speakrather of repose than of active commercial life. We see amost modern-looking coffee-packing estabHshment, on theground floor of what might have been a viceroys palace, ora colonial prison. It is like the meeting of two centuries. SOCIAL LIFE AT RIO. 457 Farther on, there are the Pedro Segundo docks, whereall except very heavy draught ships can take in cargo di-rectly from the wharf. These docks, lately finished, havebecome exceedingly popular with shippers. They are hand-somely ornamented, perhaps with a tendency to extrava-gance, as with all public works in Brazil. Beyond, the waters of the bay ripple and dance in thesunshine.
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